Display Container and Associated Container Blank

ABSTRACT

A single piece container blank for the storing and displaying of product utilizing corrugated flutes horizontally and vertically oriented to provide strength while limiting cost. The multi-thickness side panels and top panels, and flute arrangements form a container that is highly stable and strong that is efficient in its use of materials. Further, the structure includes a plurality of side walls that prevent nesting of vertically stacked containers.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to display type containers andcontainer blanks. More specifically, this present invention relates to asingle piece container having an exposed display area in the front ofthe container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This invention is best understood from the following detaileddescriptions when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Itis emphasized that according to common practice, various features of thedrawings are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of variousfeatures are arbitrarily expanded or reduced clarity. Included in thesedrawings are the following figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary single piece box blank madein accordance with aspects of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary partially erected view of the single piece boxblank arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of a partially erected box blankarrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of a partially erected box blankarrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of a partially erected box blankarrangement of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the formed single piece containerdepicted from the blank of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. The present invention is directed to a singlepiece blank 20 that is cut and scored to forms a container 50. Thesingle piece container 50 is convenient for imparting strength andstability while allowing the container 50 to hold and easily dispense avariety of products (not shown). One suitable embodiment of thecontainer blank 20 and resulting container 50 is described in moreparticularity below.

FIG. 1 depicts a blank 20 used to form a container 50. The blank 20 istypically constructed from a single piece of formable material such as,without limitation, sheets of cellulose-based material formed fromcellulose materials such as wood pulps, straw, cotton, bagasse, or thelike. Cellulose-based materials used in the present invention may comein many forms, such as fiberboard, containerboard, corrugatedcontainerboard and paperboard. However, it will be appreciated that thesingle piece of formable material may be constructed from other materialas well, such as, without limitation, a polymer based material. Thepolymer based material may be in the form of a sheet of plasticmaterial, or a sheet of corrugated plastic material.

The blank 20 is cut and scored, perforated or otherwise formed into aplurality of panels that, when assembled, form container 50. In allFIGURES, like numbers indicate like parts; additionally, cut lines areshown as solid lines, score lines as dashed lines, and lines ofperforation as broken lines. For the purposes of further descriptionherein, the downward direction is defined as a direction perpendicularto the first bottom panel 22 when the container 50 has been erected. Theupwards direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the firstbottom panel 22 that corresponds to the inner surface of the bottompanel when the container 50 has been erected.

FIG. 1 includes a bottom panel 22 bounded by fold lines 21 and 23.Connected with bottom panel 22 along a fold lines 23 are first sidepanels 24. Connected with at least one of the first side panels 24,along a pair of spaced apart fold lines 41, is a first side panel flap44. A pair of front tabs 44 is connected with each of the first sidepanels 24 along fold line 39.

The first side panel 24 also includes a sixth side panel 40 connectedwith the first side panel along fold line 37. This sixth side panel 40also includes a side tab 42 connected with the sixth side panel 40 alongfold line 41.

A second side panel 26 is connected with the bottom panel 22 along foldlines 21. Fold lines 21 and 23 are substantially perpendicular to oneanother. A first top panel 28 is connected with the second side panel26, opposite the bottom panel 22, along fold lines 25. Fold lines 25 andfold lines 21 are substantially parallel to one another and are bothsubstantially perpendicular to fold lines 23.

Connected with the first top panel 28, via a pair of spaced apart foldlines 27, are second top panels 30. Third side panel 32 is connectedwith the second top panel 30 along fold line 29. Third side panel 32includes fourth side panels 36 connected with the third side panel 32along fold lines 33. Also the third side panel 32 includes a cornerpanel 34 connected with third side panel 32 along fold lines 31.

As aspect of the present invention is forming a container 50 that hasvertical side walls formed of panels having both vertically andhorizontally oriented flutes. By forming the blank 20 and resultingcontainer 50 as depicted, some of the various side panels havevertically oriented flutes and others have horizontally oriented flutes.This allows for cost savings with regards to material while retainingdesired strength.

FIGS. 2-5 depict various aspects of the container 50 being erected fromthe blank 20. As best seen in FIG. 2, first side panels 24 are foldedupwardly along fold lines 23. Subsequently fifth side panels 38 may befolded inwardly along fold line 37. This movement places respectivefifth side panels 38 juxtaposed to one another.

As seen in FIG. 3, second side panel 26 may then be folded upwardlyapproximately 90 degrees along fold line 21 such that the second sidepanel 26 becomes juxtaposed to the outermost fifth side panel 38. Itwill be appreciated that the flutes (not shown) in fifth side panels 38and second side panels 26 will be substantially perpendicular to onanother.

The first top panel 28 may be folded inwardly along fold line 25. Inaddition, the corner panels 34 may be folded inwardly along fold lines31 and the forth side panels 36 may be folded inwardly along fold lines33. Also the front tabs 44 may be folded downward/inward approximately90 degrees along fold line 39.

As best depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second top panel 30 may be foldedalong double spaced apart fold lines 27 such that the first top panel 28and second top panel 30 sandwich a portion of the front tabs 44 therebetween. Also, the third side panel 32 is folded along fold line 29 suchthat the third side panel 32 is substantially parallel the second sidepanel 26. In this configuration, the third side panel 32 and the secondside panel 26 substantially sandwich the respective fifth side panels 38there between. Likewise, the forth side panels 36 are juxtaposed one ofthe first side panels 24, and the corner panels 34 are juxtaposed theother first side panel 24.

Although the various embodiments have all been illustrated and describedas noted above, many changes can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of theinvention is not limited by the disclosure of such embodiments. Instead,the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claimsthat follow.

1. A single sheet of flexible material cut and scored to define acontainer, the container comprising: a bottom panel; a first side panelconnected with the bottom panel, the first side panel defining a firstflute direction; a second side panel connected with the bottom panel,the second side panel lying perpendicular to the first side panel; athird side panel juxtaposed the first side panel, the third side paneldefining a second flute direction; a forth side panel juxtaposed thesecond side panel; an outer top panel connected with the first sidepanel, the outer top panel being substantially perpendicular to thesecond top panel; an inner top panel juxtaposed the first top panel;wherein the first flute direction is substantially perpendicular to thesecond flute direction.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the singlesheet of foldable material is formed from a cellulose-based material. 3.The container of claim 2, wherein the cellulose based material is formedfrom at least one of a wood pulp, straw, cotton, and bagasse.
 4. Thecontainer of claim 2, wherein the cellulose based material is in theform of at least one of a fiberboard, containerboard, corrugatedcontainerboard and paperboard.